Egg candling device

ABSTRACT

An egg candling device according to the present invention comprises at least an egg input and alignment unit for installing trays with eggs to be tested taken out from an incubator on a transporting means, an egg candling unit for determining goodness or badness of eggs to be tested in the tray transported from the egg input and alignment unit and specifying defective eggs, and a disposal unit for picking up the eggs determined as defective eggs in the egg candling unit, wherein the egg candling unit comprises light sources arranged above, a lift unit for lifting up the eggs to be tested installing on the tray below the tray and making the eggs to be tested contact with the light source, a determining unit for determining goodness or badness of the eggs to be tested illuminated by the light source, and an notification means for specifying position of the egg determined as a defective egg by the determining unit and notifying the position to a disposal unit, wherein the lift unit comprises an egg holding base having a smaller diameter than diameters of eggs to be tested, a moving means for moving the egg holding base up and down, a tested egg holding unit comprising plate-like elastic members providing around the egg holding base at specific intervals and extending at a specific length above from the egg holding base.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an egg candling device in which spermeggs and infertile eggs can be selected from eggs used in raw materialsfor producing vaccine for influenza, vaccine for animals and the like,and further growth excellence eggs and abnormally developed eggs can beselected from the sperm eggs, selectively automatically or manually.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Patent Document No. 1 (JP2008-256424 A) by the applicant constitutesbasics of the present invention, for instance, as shown in FIG. 6, anegg candling device is constituted of an egg input and alignment unit 2on which a plurality of trays 10 where sperm eggs as a specimen materialare arranged are installed, a first examination part 3 for selectingwhether eggs in the trays 10 are sperm eggs or not and further whetherthe sperm eggs are excellence developed eggs or not, an extractingabnormally developed eggs part 4 for absorbing infertile eggs andabnormally developed eggs due to information from the first examinationpart 3, picking them for the tray 10 and disposing them to a disposalbox 5, a excellent eggs compensating part 6 for compensating the testedexcellence developed sperm eggs into the trays 10 where the infertileeggs and the abnormally developed eggs are picked away automatically, asecond examination part 7 for re-examining eggs including the growthexcellent sperm eggs supplied from the excellent eggs compensating part6 so as not to be examination errors in order to increase accuracy ofthe examination, and an egg takeoff part 8 for keeping the trays 10 inwhich the excellent eggs are filled in parts where the abnormal eggs areremoved by re-examination in the second examination part 7.

In the first examination part 3 and the second examination part 7 of theautomatic sperm egg candling device 1, eggs to be tested which are movedon the tray 10 are brought up in every column of the eggs automaticallyor manually and the light radiates every eggs in order to judge whetherthe eggs are infertile eggs or sperm eggs by conditions or shadows oftransmitted light through them and further to judge whether the eggs aregrowth excellence eggs or abnormally developed eggs, and moreover, asshown in FIG. 6, the case of visual judgment by workers for examinationor the case of automatic judgment by image treatment are carried outselectively.

DOCUMENT FOR PRIOR ART Patent Document

Patent Document No. 1: JP 2008-256424 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

In the prior egg candling device as described above, though a halogenlump is used for radiating light to the eggs, because the halogen lumphas a short life-span, there is a demand such as to want to use a LEDilluminant with a long life-span, but because the light of the LEDilluminant is blue, it is a problem whether a luminescent color of theLED is available to the egg candling or not.

Besides, in the prior lift-up mechanism, though a rubber cupcorresponding to every egg is brought up and egg candling is performedby pressing the eggs to light fibers, because sizes of eggs are various,it was necessary that the eggs moved up and down about three times inorder to bring eggs up to a suitable position.

Therefore, the present invention is to provide an egg candling devicehaving constitution that an LED illuminant can be used as a lightsource, and to comprise a lift mechanism for bringing up the eggs to asuitable position.

Means for Solving Problem

Accordingly, the egg candling device according to the present inventioncomprises at least an egg input and alignment unit for positioning atray on which eggs to be tested taken out from an incubator on a movingmeans, an egg candling unit for identifying defective eggs bydetermining the quality of the eggs in the tray transported from the egginput and alignment unit, and a disposal unit for extracting anddisposing eggs determined to be defective by the egg candling unit,wherein the egg candling unit comprises light sources disposed at thetop, a lifting unit for lifting up eggs in the tray from below the trayso as to cause the eggs to abut the light source, a determining unit fordetermining the quality of eggs irradiated by the light source, and anotification means for specifying the position of eggs determined by thedetermined unit to be defective and notifying the disposal unit, whereinthe lift unit comprises egg holding bases having diameters smaller thanthe diameters of the eggs, moving means for moving the eggs holdingbases up and down, and egg holding parts that are disposed at prescribedintervals on the periphery of each egg holding base and that are formedfrom plate-like elastic members extending a prescribed length upwardfrom the egg holding base. Especially, it is preferred that fourplate-like elastic members are arranged around the egg holding base atevery 90°. Furthermore, the plate-like elastic members are preferablyplastic plate springs.

Thus, when bringing up the eggs to be tested, since plate-like elasticmembers extending upward from the periphery of the egg holding base inthe lift unit bring the egg up so as to fold the egg by opening outwardalong a lower side surface of the egg, different sizes of the eggs areabsorbed because the plate-like elastic members can be bent outwardalong sizes of the eggs, so that it is possible to contact the eggs withthe light sources surely.

Besides, in the present invention, it is preferred that the lightsources comprise an LED sources as a light source and further compriselight fibers each of which a radiation side end contacting with the eggsto be tested and a receiver side end positioning to the light sourceside and collecting light from the light source and that a filter glasswith orange color is intervened between the LED light source and thereceiver side end.

Thus, because condition similar to the prior halogen lump can be made,egg candling similar to the prior art can be performed without usinghalogen lump.

Moreover, in the present invention, it is preferred that the determiningunit is to determine right and wrong of the eggs to be tested by visualcontact of the judge, and that the notification means notifies positionsof the defective eggs to the disposal unit by pushing switchescorresponding to the eggs determined as the defective eggs visuallyamong the switches located at the positions corresponding to the eggs tobe tested that are lifted.

Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferred that a switchpanel on which the switches are arranged is slant to a judge side at aspecific angle and that the angle is 15°. Especially, in the case of aperched system so as for the judge to work at sitting on, this slantswitch panel is effective.

Moreover, in the present invention, it is preferred that the determiningunit is an image treatment system for determining eggs to be tested byan image treatment and notifying positions of the defective eggs to thedisposal unit. Besides, in the present invention, it is preferred thatthe determining unit is performed by that both manual operation and theautomatic operation are changed.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the determining unit becomes a firstdetermining unit, and that a second determining unit for determiningright and wrong of the eggs to be tested is provided after the disposalunit.

In this case, it is preferred that both the first determining unit andthe second determining unit can choose both the automatic system and themanual system, or, it is preferred that one of them is an automaticsystem and another of them is a manual system by visual contact of thejudges.

Effect of the Invention

According to the present invention, because the eggs can be contactedwith the light sources surely since the eggs can be lifted so as to befolded by the plate-like elastic members, the effect such as to be ableto shorten a test period is resulted. Furthermore, because the LED lightis used as a light source, lifetime of the light source can beprolonged, and the test similar to the prior test can be performed byusing a filter glass with orange color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing constitution of an egg candling unitaccording to the present invention:

FIGS. 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams showing constitution of a liftunit according to the present invention, especially FIG. 2A shows acondition before and after lifting the eggs to be tested and FIG. 2Bshows a condition of lifting the eggs to be tested;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams showing constitution of an eggholding base of a lift unit, especially FIG. 3A is a front view thereofand FIG. 3B is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing constitution of light sourcesaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing constitution of a tray used inthe present invention; and

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram explaining whole constitution in theprior art and the present invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a working example is explained by referring the drawings.

Working Example

A egg candling device 1 according to the present invention isconstituted of, as shown in FIG. 6, an egg input and alignment unit 2that a plurality of trays 10 on which sperm eggs are arranged as aspecimen material are installed thereon, a first egg candling unit 3 forselecting sperm eggs or infertile eggs among the eggs to be tested andselecting growth excellence eggs or abnormally developed eggs among thesperm eggs, a defective egg picking-up unit 4 receiving information fromthe first egg candling unit 3, picking up the infertile eggs and theabnormally developed eggs and disposing them to a disposal box 5, anexcellent egg loading unit 6 automatically loading growth excellencesperm eggs to have been tested to empty spaces in the tray 10 afterpicking up the infertile eggs and abnormally developed eggs, a secondegg candling unit 7 re-testing eggs including the growth excellencesperm eggs supplied from the excellent egg loading unit 6 in order toincrease precious testing of the growth excellence eggs, and an eggtakeoff unit 8 holding the tray 10 in which only excellence eggs arepacked after removing the defective eggs that have been retested by thesecond determining unit 7. Besides, in FIG. 6, the working mode in thatdefective eggs (infertile eggs and abnormally developed eggs) areselected visually by the workers (judges) 9 is shown, but an automaticsystem that an image treatment system for selecting the defective eggsby the image treatment is provided to select them automatically can beselected.

The first egg candling unit 3 and the second egg candling unit 7according to the present invention have the same constitution, forinstance, that is shown in FIG. 1. Each of the egg candling units 3 and7 is basically constituted of a determining unit 30, a lift unit 40 anda light source 50.

The lift unit 40 comprises, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, anair cylinder 41 driven with fluid, especially by gas (air), a connectionpart 43 located at a top of a moving rod 42 of the air cylinder 41 andtested egg holding units 44 located at positions corresponding to aplurality of tested eggs 11 installed on the tray 10 on the connectionpart 43.

The tested egg holding unit 44 comprises, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, abase 45 whose plane surface united with or connected to the connectionpart 43 is approximately square and having smaller size than shorterdiameters of the tested eggs, and plate-like elastic members 46 fixed onfour side surfaces of the base 45 (side surfaces positioned around thebase at every 90°) and extending upward, respectively. The plate-likeelastic members 46 rise up corresponding to rise of the moving rod 42,after their top ends are contact with a lower part of the tested egg 11,they are spread outward along a lower side surface of the tested egg 11,so that the tested egg 11 is brought up so as to fold below by the fourplate-like elastic members 46. Besides, it is preferred that a taperedpart 47 slant outward is formed at a top of every plate-like elasticmember 46. Furthermore, since opening angles of the plate-like elasticmembers 46 can vary corresponding to sizes of eggs 11, contact positionsto the radiation side end 51 of the eggs 11 can become constant.Moreover, the plate-like elastic members are preferably formed withplastics.

The light source 50 comprises, for instance, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2and FIG. 4, light fibers 52 having radiation side ends 51 on which thetop ends of the tested eggs lifted up by the tested egg holding units 44and receiver side end 53 positioning to a light source side andreceiving light from an LED light source 55, and further comprises afilter glass 54 with orange color intervening between the LED lightsource 55 and the receiver side end 53 of the light fibers 52. Besides,it is preferred that the radiation side end 51 has an optical controlmeans such as a field lens, a diaphragm or the like, and thus, it ispreferred that intensity and diffuseness of light radiated to the testedeggs 11 can be fine-tuned.

The determining unit 30 is to select detective eggs (infertile eggs andabnormally developed eggs) by visual contact of a judge 9 from image orshadow condition projected by light radiating from the light source 50or image judgment by the image treatment system, and, in the case ofvisual contact of the judge 9, comprising a plurality of switches 31used by the visual contact and a switch panel 32 on which the switches31 are arranged corresponding to positions of the tested eggs 11.Besides, in the automatic egg candling, a camera or cameras for takingimages of the tested eggs by radiated light is/are provided besidepositions where the tested eggs are contact with radiation side end 51when the tested eggs 11 go up, and thus, images taken by the camera(s)are treated in order to specify the defective eggs and transmitting theposition information to the next defective egg picking-up unit 4.Besides, in the case of visual judgment of the judge 9, when thedefective eggs are determined, the judge 9 pushes the switch 31 atposition corresponding to the determined defective egg and transmits theposition information to the next defective egg picking-up unit 4.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferred that the switch panel32 is slant at a specific angle α toward to the judge side in order toincrease workability. The angle α is, for instance, 15°.

As the above mentioned constitution, plural eggs to be tested areinstalled on the tray 10 shown in FIG. 5. This tray 10 has openings 12formed below parts on which the eggs 11 are installed. Furthermore,cutouts 13 on which levers 21 of moving chains 20 are hung up are formedin the tray 10 and supporting rods 14 is provided so as not to crasheggs 11 when the trays 10 are stuck up.

The trays 20 on which the eggs to be tested are installed move to thefirst egg candling unit 3 and stop there. When the judge 9 pushes theexamination switch, the cylinder 41 is driven and the tested egg holdingunit 44 brings up the eggs to be tested to be contact with the radiationside ends 51, and light radiates to the tested eggs 11 from the lightsource. The judge 9 determines whether the eggs to be tested are growthexcellence eggs or defective eggs (infertile eggs and abnormallydeveloped eggs) from images or shadows gained by the radiated light. Inthe case that the egg is an defective egg, the judge 9 pushes the switchon the switch panel 32 corresponding to the defective egg and the signalby the switch are transmitted to the next defective egg picking-up unit4. The eggs 11 to have been tested are brought back to the tray 10 andthe tray 10 moves from the first egg candling unit 3 to the defectiveegg picking-up unit 4.

In the defective egg picking-up unit 4, a rubber absorption padcorresponding to the defective egg based on the signal from the firstegg candling unit 3 among the rubber absorption pads locatedcorresponding to the tested eggs 11 above the tested eggs on the tray 10goes down and absorbing the defective egg to bring up and move, andfurther dispose it to the disposal box 5. Besides, in the excellent eggloading unit 6 next to the defective eggs picking-up unit 4, theexcellent eggs are loaded into empty spaces where the defective eggs areremoved to fill the tray 10.

This tray 10 is transported to the second egg candling unit 7, and theoperation similar to the operation in the first egg candling unit 3 isperformed so that no defective egg is present in the tray 10. Thus, thetray 10 without defective eggs moves to the egg takeoff unit 8 andwaits.

Due to the above, according to the egg candling unit of the presentinvention, accuracy of the egg candling and workability can be increasedsurely.

EXPLANATION OF LETTERS OR NUMERALS

1 Egg Candling Device

2 Egg Input and Alignment Unit

3 First Egg Candling Unit

4 Defective Egg Picking-up Unit

5 Disposal Box

6 Excellent Egg Loading Unit

7 Second Egg Candling Unit

8 Egg Takeoff Unit

9 Judge

10 Tray

11 Tested Egg

12 Opening

13 Cutout

14 Supporting Rod

30 Determining Unit

31 Switch

32 Switch Panel

40 Lift Unit

41 Air Cylinder

42 Moving Rod

43 Connection Part

44 Tested Egg Holding Unit

45 Base

46 Plate-like Elastic Member

47 Taper

48 Screw

50 Light Source

51 Radiation Side End

52 Light Fiber

53 Receiver Side End

54 Filter Glass

1-5. (canceled)
 6. An egg candling device characterized by comprising at least an egg input and alignment unit for installing trays with eggs to be tested taken out from an incubator on a transporting means, an egg candling unit for determining goodness or badness of eggs to be tested in the tray transported from said egg input and alignment unit and specifying defective eggs, and a disposal unit for picking up the eggs determined as defective eggs in the egg candling unit, wherein said egg candling unit comprises light sources arranged above, a lift unit for lifting up the eggs to be tested installing on the tray below the tray and making the eggs to be tested contact with the light source, a determining unit for determining goodness or badness of the eggs to be tested illuminated by the light source, and an notification means for specifying position of the egg determined as a defective egg by the determining unit and notifying the position to a disposal unit, wherein said lift unit comprises an egg holding base having a smaller diameter than diameters of eggs to be tested, a moving means for moving said egg holding base up and down, a tested egg holding unit comprising plate-like elastic members providing around said egg holding base at specific intervals and extending at a specific length above from said egg holding base.
 7. An egg candling device according to claim 6, characterized in that said light source unit comprises a LED light source as a light source, and further comprises light fibers each of which has radiation side end contacting with the egg to be tested and a receiver side end collecting light from the LED light source, wherein a filter glass with orange color intervenes between the LED light source and the receiver side ends of said light fibers.
 8. An egg candling device according to claim 6, characterized in that said determine unit is to determine goodness or badness of the tested eggs by visual contact of judges, and said notification means for notifying positions of the defective eggs to the disposal unit by pushing switches positioned corresponding to the tested eggs determined as detective eggs by visual contact among the switches positioned corresponding to the lifted up tested eggs.
 9. An egg candling device according to claim 7, characterized in that said determine unit is to determine goodness or badness of the tested eggs by visual contact of judges, and said notification means for notifying positions of the defective eggs to the disposal unit by pushing switches positioned corresponding to the tested eggs determined as detective eggs by visual contact among the switches positioned corresponding to the lifted up tested eggs.
 10. An egg candling device according to claim 8, characterized in that a switch plate on which the switches are arranged is slant toward a judge side.
 11. An egg candling device according to claim 9, characterized in that a switch plate on which the switches are arranged is slant toward a judge side.
 12. An egg candling device according to claim 6, characterized in that said determine unit is an image treatment system determining the tested eggs by image treatment automatically and notifying positions of defective eggs to said disposal unit.
 13. An egg candling device according to claim 7, characterized in that said determine unit is an image treatment system determining the tested eggs by image treatment automatically and notifying positions of defective eggs to said disposal unit. 